An analysis of public payments reveals that the company from Gromačnik received nearly 1.9 million euros from the city budget and related institutions from 2023 to June 2026. Due to suspicions of favoritism, police officers entered the city administration premises on August 10.
According to data from the publicly available budget transactions overview, the City of Slavonski Brod directly paid 1,834,336.13 euros to the company Monika j.d.o.o. from Gromačnik between January 1, 2023, and June 11, 2026. When adding the funds disbursed by the city's Institution for Sports Facilities Management and the "Đuro Pilar" Elementary School, the total amount of public money reaches at least 1,863,588.07 euros.
The entire case, dubbed the "Sand Affair" by the public, gained a new dimension on August 10, 2026, when police officers entered the City Administration building in Slavonski Brod. According to available information, they are investigating allegations of potential irregularities and favoritism in the awarding of city contracts.
An analysis of annual amounts reveals a continuous upward trend. In 2023, Monika received 318,696.40 euros from the city coffers. The following year, this amount nearly doubled, reaching 595,046.56 euros. The record year was 2025, when the company received 793,190.63 euros. In 2026, up to the mentioned date in June, an additional 127,402.54 euros were recorded.
In addition to direct city payments, the Institution for Sports Facilities Management paid Monika 24,600 euros on June 30, 2025, for sports court surfacing. The "Đuro Pilar" Elementary School transferred 4,651.94 euros in early 2023.
The range of work performed by Monika is exceptionally broad. Notable payments in 2025 include 61,275 euros for the renovation of the NK Borac sports ground, 59,807.50 euros for apartment refurbishment, 58,130 euros for installing a lift platform in the City Administration building, 50,253.75 euros for dismantling the north stand at SRC Klasije, and 38,622.50 euros for the renovation of the facade and part of the roof of the Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić Theater and Concert Hall.
It was also in 2025 that the project at the heart of the story emerged, the refurbishment of the volleyball courts at Vijuš and the procurement of sand. For this purpose, 24,800 euros were paid on July 31, 2025. The company also worked at locations such as Tvrđava Brod, Kamp Korčula, Kuća tambure, the city pools, and children's playgrounds.
After consolidating multiple transactions under the same contract, 74 distinct labeled contracts between the City and Monika were identified. Of these, 33 contracts are marked with the letter "N," representing 44.59 percent of all identified individual contracts. The remaining 41 carry the label "UG." There is also a payment of 29,310 euros from 2023 for the removal of children's playgrounds, where neither label is visible in the description.
This ratio raises a key question about how contracts were awarded. Conducting procurement through simplified procedures does not in itself indicate illegality, but when over 1.8 million euros are directed to a single company over several years, and nearly every other contract is marked "N," the public has a right to know how the system operated.
The entire story has once again brought to the forefront questions about family connections among individuals in various positions within the city system. According to previously published allegations, Monika Ilak, the director of Monika, is a cousin of Ankica Majetić, the long-serving head of the City of Slavonski Brod's Department of Economy. Another cousin of Head Majetić is reportedly Sandra Lučić, an employee within the City Administration.
Mihaela Majetić Stefanović is mentioned as a niece of Ankica Majetić. Her husband, Miroslav Stefanović, is the long-time director of the city's Institution for Sports Facilities Management, the same institution that paid Monika 24,600 euros for sports court surfacing. While family ties do not prove favoritism, when a private company close to the extended family receives nearly 1.9 million euros in public funds, it is legitimate to ask whether all potential conflicts of interest were identified and reported.
In mid-July 2026, independent city councilor Slavica Lemaić publicly addressed institutions, the police, the State Attorney's Office (DORH), USKOK, and the State Audit Office, requesting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the simplified procurement, the work at Vijuš, Monika's contracts, and possible family connections.
The arrival of the police on August 10, 2026, does not confirm any of the raised suspicions and does not imply criminal liability at this stage. Nevertheless, it adds weight to the entire case and raises the question of whether the City of Slavonski Brod will provide the public with a complete overview of all procedures in which Monika was selected as the contractor, including the estimated procurement value, the number of invited bidders, received bids, and selection criteria.
